Lubricator for commutators



(No Model.)

T. E. ADAMS.

LUBRIGATOR FOR GOMMUTATORS.

Ii ,4 fforney N. PZTERS, Phntokilhognphur. Washington. D Cv UNITED STATES PATENT LU BRICATOR FOR COM MUTATORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 351,148, dated October 19, 1886.

Application filed June 22, 1886. Serial No. 205,917.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS EDGAR ADAMS, of Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lubricators for Commutators; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in. the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in lubricators for commutators of dynamo-electric machines.

The object is to provide a device for supplying the wearing-surface of a commutator with a lubricant, in order to prevent cutting and reduce wear from the friction of the collectorbrushes which rest upon it.

With these ends in view my invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view of the lubricator attached to the collector-brush of a Brush dynamo. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the lubricator in vertical section. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the lubrica tor; and Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 represent modifications.

In illustrating the application of the lubricator to a commutator I have represented a commutator ofthetype known as the Brush commutator; but I do not wish to limit myself in its application to that type or any particular type of commutator, as its application is quite general.

The brushes A of the above-referred-to com mntator are secured to a support, B, which is constructed to admit of a limited rocking motion for the purpose of adjusting the brushes in different positions onthe commutator. In this type it is found preferable to attach the lubricator to some portion of the support B, in order that it may be moved simultaneously with the movement of the brushes, and thereby maintain the same position relatively thereto.

- A pair of jaws, 0, provided with handles 0,

,are pivoted together, after the manner of tongs, and are adapted to slip underneath the heads D of the setscrews which secure the brush to its support. The jaws are caused to automatically grip the screw-heads, or any other part accidental change of feed is impossible.

(No model.)

which they may be arranged to engage, by a spring or two hal f-sprin gs, E, between the handles. The jaw toward the commutator is pro vided with a lubricator-supporting arm, E, which preferably extends in curved form, as shown, over to a point above the side of the commutator nearest the j aw C. The arm F is made, preferably, of vulcanized fiber, in order to secure strength and lightness, and at the same time insulate the lubrieator from the brush-support. To the free end of the arm F a bolt, G, is hinged, and the lubricator is con structed and attached to the bolt as follows: H represents the casing of the lubricator, which is preferably oblong in cross'section, and adapted to rest with one of its longer sides parallel with an element of surface on the face of the commutator. The top of the casing H is permanently closed, excepting an opening, 72, for the introduction of a free supply of lubricant, and a central opening through which the bolt G extends, and which is closed oil-tight by a flange, g, on the bolt. The bottom of the casing H is closed by a piece of porous material, I, leather, felt, or other suitable material, which is held in position and compressed or allowed to expand by means of a nut,K,which works on the threaded end of the bolt G beneath the porous material I. One edge of the porous piece I is adapted to rest in contact with the face of the commutator L, and the degree of its pressure against the commutator is determined by aspringarm, M, secured to the supporting-arm F, its free end resting on a projection, N, secured to the head or body of the bolt G above the casing, and hence tending to swing the lower end of the lubricator or porous piece I toward the commutator. The bearing of the edge of the piece I on the face of the commutator is so extended that there is no tendency of the piece to turn, from jar or otherwise, and hence an The interior of the casing H forms a reservoir for containing a supply of the lubricant, which,

by saturating the porous piece I, is fed to the face of the commutator through the pores of the said piece I. By revolving the nut K,

(I as found desirable.

Either edge of the piece I may be presented to the face of the commutator, and hence a' half-turn only of the nut K will be required to bring the porous feed into operative position, and, since the threads on the bolt G are out very fine, the construction admits of the nicest adjustment of the pressure on the piece I, and hence the regulation of the amount of lubricant fed to the commutator may be accomplished with the greatest precision. This latter feature is very important, since the least possible amount of the lubricant to accomplish" the purpose should be used,in order to prevent poor electric contact of the brushes, dirt, andflashing of the machine.

It will be observed that the above construction and arrangement of the lubricator do not prevent the spark or the'condition of the commutator from being readily seen, that it can be removed for cleaning, filling, or transferring to another machine Without the use of tools, and that it is provided with a reservoir of lubricating material, eas ly refilled, and of sufficient capacity to last a considerable time.

In Fig. 4 the porous piece is represented as consisting of wood, the lubricant-supply being in contact with one end of the piece, and the opposite end of the piecein contact with the commutator, the oil being fed longitudinally through the pores of the wood. The casing H is made slightly bell-mouthed and the piece of Wood I so tightly set therein that the lubricant can only escape through the pores of the Wood.

nut, k, is employed on the bolt G, within the casing, above the porous piece I, to press the piece I oil-tight against the nut K,while the nut K is employed as before to compress or release the porous piece I. This latter construe tion is quite similar in all its essential parts to the construction set forth at length hereinbefore, and may be fairly considered a somewhat more elaborate form of the principal constructiomrather than a modification thereof. In this construction, as well asin the construction shown in Fig. 5, the lubricant is fed to the parts I through the porous material I.

The simpleform shown in Fig. 7 consists of a piece of wood or other suitable porous ma-' terial set in a'slot in the swinging bolt G,with its grain or pores endwise toward the commutator. In this instance the wood or other material is to be saturated with a lubricant be fore being set in the bolt.

It is evident that various changes might be resorted to in the means for securing the lubricator-support to the dynamo machine or brush-support, that the shape of the casing might be of other form than those shown, and that many slight changes might be resorted to in the form and arrangement of the several parts described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention; hence I do not wish to limit myself strictly to the construction herein set forth; but,

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a brush-support ing device of a dynamo-electric machine, of a lubricator attached to said device and suspended in swinging adjustment, and provided with a porous feeding strip or block rigidlysecured to the lubricator and adapted to feed the lubricant to the commutator, substantially as set forth. a

2. In a lubricator for the commutator of a dynamo-electric machine, the combination,

with a movable brushsupport, of a lubricator attached tosaid support, whereby the relative position of the lubricator to the brush is maintained, substantially as set forth.

3. A lubricator suspended in swinging adjustment and provided with a spring-actuated clutch for securing it removably to a dynamoelectric machine, substantially as set forth.

4. A lubricator for the commutator of a dynamo-electric machine, yieldingly held in contactwith the commutator, and provided with a reservoir adapted to contain a supply of lubricant, substantially as set forth.

5. A lubricator for the commutator of adynamo-electric machine, having an adjustable feed, and provided with a spring-actuated clutch for removably securing it to a dynamoelectric machine, substantially as set forth.

6. In a lubricator for the commutator of a justment, of a lubricator-transmitting me dium, and means for applying pressure to and removing it fromthe medium for the purpose of regulating the passage of the lubricant through the medium, substantially as set forth.

8. In a lubricator, the combination, With a reservoir and a porous feed-piece, of an auxiliary feed-piece adapted to protect the porous feed piece from. wear, substantially as set forth.

9. In a lubricator, the combination, with a pair of spring-actuated jaws, and an insulating-arm leading from one of the jaws toward the commutator, of a lubricant-recept2tcle In testimony whereof I ha ve signed this hinged to the free end of the insulating-arm, specification 1n the presence of two subscnb- 10 substantially as set forth. ing Witnesses.

10. In a lubricator the combination, withzt n i .5 suitable support, of a threaded bolt hinged to I lHOMAS EDGAR ADAMS the free'end of the support, a lubricanta-ecep- \Vitnesses: tacle attached to the bolt, and a lubricant- J. POTTER, transmitting mediu1n,substantia11y asset forth. L. B. LE VAKE. 

